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2w ago

JAAC Suspends Muzaffarabad March and Sets July 21 Deadline After Deadly Clashes

The pause was agreed after talks and gives Pakistan until July 21 to address a 38‑point charter or face a resumed long march.

Screenshots of the falsely shared post (L) and JAAC's X post
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People chant slogans as they walk during a protest and shutter-down strike called by the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), an alliance of civil society groups, in Neelum Valley, Pakistani Kashmir, June 21, 2026. Picture taken with a mobile phone. REUTERS/Naseer ud Din/File Photo
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Overview

  • The pause follows days of heavy confrontations in Pakistan‑administered Kashmir in which security forces used tear gas and live fire and scores of people were reported killed during clashes on July 14–15.
  • Authorities deployed thousands of personnel across the territory, imposed roadblocks, restricted internet and media access, and proscribed the Joint Awami Action Committee as officials sought to stop the march.
  • JAAC’s 38‑point charter demands economic relief, restored services, release of detainees and abolition of 12 assembly seats reserved for refugees that protesters say dilute local representation.
  • Negotiators secured a temporary suspension of the long march on July 15 while sit‑ins continue and JAAC warned it will resume the march from July 22 if concrete steps are not taken by July 21.
  • The standoff has raised humanitarian concerns over shortages of food and medicine, drawn sharp criticism from India, and adds volatility ahead of Azad Jammu and Kashmir local elections later this month.